Black Jack: Madness in California
by Cascade Fantasy
Summary: A superb new hospital has opened up in California, and Black Jack and Pinoko have been requested to go and work there for the summer. Pinoko is contemplating her relationship with the doctor, and a sinister mystery is beginning to unfold...
1. Chapter 1

**Black Jack: California Madness**

_This is my first Black Jack fanfic. Please read, review, and if at all possible, enjoy. Also, I ask that you do not ask any questions in regards to Pinoko and be all like, "Why is she older?" because I'll explain it eventually and also, it's supposed to make her a more prominent figure in the story. With that, thank you and continue reading! I DO NOT OWN BLACK JACK. _

**Chapter One**

Against the dusk of the morning, a long road stretched across California, one that had a shimmering ocean view front. On this highway filled with cars, one black car streaked across the land.

Inside of the car happened to be an oddly scarred man, wearing all black, with a dark blue ribbon tied around his neck. One side of his face had a long stitched up scar running diagonally across his profile; one shade of his skin tinted a different color than the other side. This man, while certainly strange and incredibly scary looking, happened to be one of the world's most renowned surgeons: Black Jack.

And the girl sitting across from him, this lovely young and perky girl, was his assistant, Pinoko. She, now with her long legs, leaned back in her chair and put her feet up on the dashboard and stretched.

"Pinoko, get your feet off of the dashboard," Black Jack grumbled as he switched into a different lane.

She set her heels on the ground wordlessly and then started to tie up her long auburn hair into pigtails. She stared out at the ocean, smiling, glad to see that there was at least one thing familiar from her homeland that was also in America.

For some odd reason, Black Jack, the love of her life (though he didn't return her love) had started pressuring her to learn English, and then about a month later, had whisked her off to America. She didn't understand why, because he was banned from doing anything medicine related in all 50 states. He had told her that it was a medical convention, but she knew he was lying. Black Jack couldn't really stand events like that.

"You know, I don't get this." She commented then.

"Get what?" he asked her, glancing over.

Suddenly the landscape changed: they were no longer on the highway, and it had melted away to a more residential area. Black Jack drove around a couple of corners, down a few streets; before pulling into the parking lot of an incredibly large hospital.

"You're not attending a convention. I knew it!" she chirped, climbing out of the car.

"Well, don't think too much about it."

"But why are we here?"

He rolled his eyes and walked ahead of her. "Alright, fine, do you really want to know?"

"Yes!"

She walked a little bit faster to catch up with his long strides, and then he started talking.

"St. Heart's Children's Hospital," he said, pointing up at the looming whitewashed building, "is a brand new state of the art hospital designed to take care of some of the sickest and most difficult patients…" he glanced down at her and smiled a little coyly. "Meaning the children of famous American celebrities."

"I knew it had something to do with money," she responded meekly, smiling a little.

"So? Money is great," Black Jack said, "and you'll have to get used to this, because we'll be staying here the whole summer."

"Three months?" Pinoko exclaimed. "Whoa, wait, why?"

He didn't respond then. She stuck out her hip to one side and propped both hands up on her hips, looking at him.

"How much are they payin' ya?"

"You're being _really _obnoxious."

"I'm your wife; that's my job!"

As they walked through the doors of the hospital, Black Jack seemed to nervously glance down at her. They stood in the lobby that had a glass ceiling that allowed the sunlight to pour in; with wide open spaces and busy doctors, nurses, patients and visitors all rushing around.

"Ah, Pinoko. That's right. Um, I was thinking… now that you look your age, as you put it, maybe you should… I don't know, date someone?"

She glared at him with laser like eyes. "Don't make me mad, Junjei. I cook your meals for you."

_Murderous intentions, _he thought after hearing the tone of her voice. _Well, that went better than expected. _

Suddenly a doctor dressed in blue scrubs walked towards them briskly. His blond hair had a cowlick separating his bangs, and he had crystal clear cinnamon colored eyes. He gave them a beaming white smile, and then a little wave to go along with a perfect welcome.

"Oh, you must be Dr. Black Jack. I am Dr. Lightfield." The two men shook hands. "I work in the cosmetic surgery area of the hospital—plastic surgery."

Pinoko blinked. "Plastic surgery? At a children's hospital? Acchonburike!"

"Pinoko!" Black Jack hissed warningly. His eyes were like scolding fires. "As always, I, _the adult_, will do the talking."

"Hey!" she protested. "I'm twenty four years old! You don't have to lecture me!"

Black Jack rolled his eyes and then turned his attention back over to Dr. Lightfield, who was standing there feeling incredibly awkward.

"Dr. Lightfield, I'm sorry about my assistant's behavior."

"Oh, no, it's quite all right," the man answered, leading Black Jack away from her. "Kids these days."

Pinoko heatedly bit her tongue, glaring after the two of them. She turned on her heel and then walked away compulsively, grumbling about how rude that Black Jack was.

Black Jack strode alongside Dr. Lightfield, who was eagerly chatting away about the establishment of the hospital, the famous celebrities and wealthy persons that were hospitalized here, etc. All of this was somewhat boring to Black Jack, so he barely paid any attention, but merely nodded as they walked along. Rather, he was focused on the shiny newness of the place: the tiled chrome floors; the bright white walls that had intricate paisley flowers on them... everything seemed very crisp, clean and precise. He was just hoping that he would get a sneak peek at the equipment…

Suddenly Dr. Lightfield cleared his throat and Black Jack looked down at the short man.

"Your assistant…"

"Pinoko? Yes?"

"It is rumored that she is in an artificial body that you designed from her."

Black Jack nodded curtly. "Correct."

"Fascinating. She was taken from a cystoma of some sort?"

"Correct again," Black Jack said. "Recently, she convinced me to give her a new, older body. The process was difficult, but it worked."

"You really are the master surgeon," Dr. Lightfield trailed off, giving an unreadable look—perhaps admiration? But then he said, "Now, I'll show you to Ms. Apple, our director."

"That won't be necessary, Dr. Lightfield—but thank you."

The two men looked up to see a young woman striding towards them. She wore black three inch heels, and a buttoned up jacket paired with a pleated skirt. She had high, thin eyebrows and pursed lips, accompanied by her dashing red hair. She was very young, and very beautiful.

She stopped in front of Dr. Black Jack and gave him a sweet smile and extended her hand. The two shook professionally.

"Dr. Black Jack. It's good to meet you face to face."

"Likewise, Ms. Apple," he responded. "After all, I am curious to meet the woman who pardoned me for malpractice in multiple states."

She laughed, and it sounded like wind crimes—as graceful as her appearance. "Oh well, it's all about having connections, Doctor. Here, let me show you to my office, so we can discuss things further."

Ms. Apple's office was incredibly impressive. It was large and had plenty of open space, with oak paneled walls and a desk to match. Behind the desk was a large bay window, and on either side of it, lines of bookcases filled to the brim and filing cabinets.

Almost as soon as they walked in, she pulled out refreshments: alcoholic drinks and little appetizers. (Whether or not that was allowed in her office, Black Jack didn't care—after all, she was the one who brought them in.) The two of them sat down and started to have a comfortable chat. Then after a while, Ms. Apple changed the subject.

"So, Doctor, you essentially know why this hospital was built. Now allow me to shed some light on why we invited you here." She leaned back in her chair and pressed her fingertips together. "Yes. You are a brilliant surgeon despite the fact that you are unlicensed, and with your reputation, we can bring mass media to the hospital, and with it clients… And hopefully, some of our own doctors can pick up some of your various skills.

Black Jack smirked slightly, setting down his drink on the coffee table. "Feh. What's in it for me?"

"Well we can also negotiate your salary… we would like to propose an offer of 5.4 million U.S dollars to start off, and then add an all expenses paid stay for the three months that you would be working here."

"Done," Black Jack said immediately, not even thinking.

"Excellent! I thought so! Glad to have you aboard!"

And with that, the two engaged in a delightful toast.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Pinoko, who had previously stomped off in a huff away from the doctor and his newfound colleague, was now wandering aimlessly through the hallways. Trying to figure out where someone had gone in a place that you were unfamiliar with was definitely one of the most difficult tasks she could face.

"Where did he _go_?" she moaned in exasperation after nearly an hour of stumbling around the hospital. "That is just so like him to abandon me."

She shoved her hands in the pockets of her bell bottom jeans and turned a corner, running into a doctor that was carrying a couple of files. The papers spilled and flew everywhere across the hall, and Pinoko dropped to her knees and started apologizing hurriedly.

She picked up the stack of papers and gave it to him, and glanced at a couple of the headings on the top from what looked to be articles from RX Magazine. A couple of articles were about the retiring of some well known surgeons…

"Thank you," the doctor said, taking them from her and shoving them back in his file. He then glanced at Pinoko, and his eyes widened at her beauty.

He took a few seconds to survey her and then he asked with a charming smile and polite tone of voice, "Would you like some help, miss? You seem lost."

He was like a Ken doll, in a way: sweet cherry colored cheeks, blond surfer hair, and crystal blue eyes. He was an absolute heartthrob. But Pinoko, being who she was, ignored his looks.

"I'm looking… Black Jack." she answered in broken English.

"The surgeon?"

Pinoko smiled and nodded. "Mmm hmm. Pinoko is his assistant."

He did a slight double take, obviously impressed. "Wow, that's rad. Look, he's in a meeting right now, but here, we'll go to the cafeteria and wait there."

The cafeteria was basically empty considering that it was mid morning. A few patients fluttered here and there, but that was about it. The two grabbed a small table by a window that overlooked the expansive parking lot.

"So," the doctor said as he slid into his seat, "how old are you?"

"Pinoko ish 24."

"Is that so?" he smiled curiously, obviously liking what he was hearing. "Well, how rude of me—I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself."

He extended his hand and shook it lightly. "I am Dr. Stevenson, but you can call me R.J." he leaned back in his seat and winked at her. "You're a fine looking girl Pinoko—how about we go on a date?"

Pinoko was bewildered and shocked by this sudden question. She exclaimed, "But I'm married!" as if he was supposed to have already known that.

"I don't see a ring on your finger," he quipped. "What are you hiding?"

Pinoko smiled nervously and laughed a little, then starting glancing around the room for someone to rescue her from this odd man. And then she saw him, in his black outfit, striding through the door…

"Pinoko!" he called out. "_There _you are!"

"Doctor!" she cried out in response, rushing over to him.

He arched a brow at her. "I thought I told you to wait in the car."

"No you didn't."

He stared back at her skeptically. "I didn't? Hmm. Well come on, let's go."

Pinoko gave a hasty wave over her shoulder to Dr. Stevenson and then skipped after him.

"Wait! You got the job?"

"Of course I did."

"But…"

Black Jack held up a dismissive hand. "No more questions, please—it's annoying. I'd like to find our house and go to sleep."

"You don't have to be so rude," Pinoko grumbled under her breath, and together, they exited the hospital.

It took a while for their car to reach the little beachside town that they were staying in, and then another half an hour to reach the house. It was a cheap, rickety but lovable large house, with a big huge yard and an ocean view. Several cars from the other boarders were parked randomly all around the yard. Black Jack chose to pull the car up close to the house.

"Oh wow!" Pinoko giggled happily when she saw the house. "Look at how big n' awesome it is! Do we have the whole house?"

"Of course not," Black Jack responded simply from where he was unloading their luggage. "Other tenants live here. We take the attic."

"Oh… Well that's still cool I guess." She looked up at the odd tower-like structure that extended to the building, which she supposed was the attic.

As soon as they got upstairs, Black Jack set their suitcases in each of their bedrooms and then exhaustedly flopped down on the couch. Pinoko lingered near him for a bit, smiling tenderly at his sleeping face, and then went to prepare dinner. She pushed up all her hair underneath a bandana and pulled on her apron and set to work.

Half an hour later she came back into the living room area and stood by the couch.

"Black Jack?" she said in a gentle voice. "Dinner will be ready soon."

"Oh?" his eyes flashed open and he pushed his arms underneath his head. "You didn't have to make anything."

She just simply smiled and then returned to the stove area, and then she spotted something in Black Jack's coat, hanging on the hook by the doorway. Slightly extending out from its spot in a side pocket, there was a white envelope that had been torn carefully open. Pinoko sidestepped over to the coat and then silently pulled out the envelope. The letter was addressed to Kuro'o Hayama, and the sender was Kisaragi.

Pinoko briefly knew Kisaragi, from an encounter a couple of years ago when Black Jack was returning a photo album to her. Though at the time Pinoko had been under the assumption that Kisaragi was a man and that Black Jack's first love had been the sister of Kisaragi, Pinoko later on put two and two together and concluded that Kisaragi was a woman and had also been Black Jack's first love. It was from then on that Pinoko was slightly wary whenever the boat riding doctor was mentioned, as she was jealous.

"Kisaragi-san sent you a letter?" Pinoko asked distantly, her eyes sad.

"Don't look at my stuff!" Black Jack scolded from where he was now sitting at the table.

"I'm not." She slid the envelope back into the pocket of the coat and came back over to the table.

She had made spaghetti and meatballs for supper, just because they didn't have very much. She served herself and then served Black Jack and sat down and silently started eating.

"Are you mad?"

"Why do you ask?" she responded as she twirled spaghetti.

"You won't look at me."

"I'm eating," she said, and then to irk him, she looked at him directly in the face.

"Pinoko…"

She grumbled as she chewed.

"You're mad."

"It's nothing," she returned, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. "Forget it."

"Really?" he asked her, now seeming kind of concerned.

She stood up and stared at him. "Please finish eating so I can do the dishes."

"…But you haven't even finished eating."

"Oh." She then sat back down and ate, her mind losing control of its thoughts.

_I always thought that when I grew up, he'd love me and make me his wife. I'm cute. All I lacked was the ability to look my age, and have womanly curves. I knew that that was all I had to do was to grow up. _

_It was one day in the kitchen, about a year back, when a pretty high-society lady had come to him for a surgery on her eyes. At dinner that night after she left, we were sitting at the table and talking. _

_I spoke up and I said, "Wasn't she a looker? I can't wait till when I grow up and I'll look as pretty as she does."_

_Then Black Jack set down his drink and looked at me in confusion. "What do you mean, grow? You're in an artificial body, Pinoko. You can't grow."_

_My bottom lip trembled and I'm sure a look of horror spread across my face when he told me this realization. _

_I set down my fork and I stammered, "B-But Pinoko wants to be lady!"_

"_Pinoko…" he had groaned in frustration, "I'm a doctor, not a miracle worker. How exactly do you expect me to grow you?"_

_I had then burst into a grief stricken torrent of tears, fled to my room, and shut the door and had not spoken to him for a week. It was at that point when we both realize that I couldn't live my life a six year old girl. _

_The next week, after apologies were said and done, he explained a new procedure that he had come up with. First, I would be disassembled, and then fed a special diet of steroids and growth hormones for two weeks. After those two weeks, I would be put into my new body. The procedure succeeded, but… _

_He still doesn't love me. I've tried and I've tried and I've tried _s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o _hard, but nothing seems to grab his attention. Or maybe that's just his way of saying, "I love you," or "I care about you."_

_But if he does, he needs to give me a sign soon, because this is getting to be a more worse and worse love by the second!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello! Chapter three coming right up to ya. Thank you to the people who have done the following:_

_1. Read the story (Great start, guys!)_

_2. Reviewed the story (Much appreciated as always)_

_3. Subscribed to the story (Because there are probably going to be three or so more chapters… I'm still working on it…)_

_Anyways, thank you, thank you, thank you for all your support. This upcoming portion includes more medical based stuff, so if you're a diabetic and you read this, please don't write an angry review because I don't know a whole lot about diabetics. I researched some, so most of this should be pretty legit, otherwise my sources are wrong and I apologize. The same goes for the rest of the story. _

_Also, there's going to be a sequel. So… I guess if you really liked this story, then please favorite me as an author or something or subscribe to me? I'm new, as you can tell. Once again thank you very much and continue reading!_

**Chapter Three**

The next day Black Jack strode into the hospital and was assisted by a secretary in retrieving a lab coat and the list of patients that he had to see on his rounds. Ms. Apple encountered him when he was on his way to seeing his first patient of the day.

"Ah, good morning Doctor!" she called out happily.

"Same to you, Ms. Apple."

"Getting along well?"

"Well enough," he answered with a simple little smile.

She nodded and tapped the top of her clipboard. "Well that's good. Let me know if you need something, okay?"

"Of course—though you don't have to worry."

"Oh I know!" she laughed as she turned the corner and headed down another hallway.

Black Jack finally came to Room 207, which was where his first patient of the day, Melanie Reese, was located. Black Jack stepped into the room and found an amazingly obese little girl lying in a bed, with a rather grief filled mother sitting beside her.

"Melanie Reese? Good afternoon. I am Dr. Black Jack. I'll be taking care of you from here on out," he told her, quickly reviewing her carts.

"Hello," Melanie responded in an oddly deep voice. "Nice to meet you."

"So, it's come to my understanding that you are a Type I diabetic?"

Her mother stood up and nodded. "Yes. We just figured that out a few weeks ago… She went into a diabetic shock. The doctors say she almost went under."

Black Jack glanced again at the blood work file that was in her chart. It was done apparently half a day ago, showing normal insulin counts (well, normal for a diabetic) and everything else looked alright.

"I've reviewed your stats," he told them. "Everything seems okay. I would like to speak with you outside Mrs. Reese."

So, the two stepped out in the hallway and engaged in a long conversation about Melanie's diet, exercise, and medications that she would need to be put on. The whole instruction took about half an hour, and when it was done, Melanie's mother looked actually… thrilled.

"Dr. Black Jack, thank you! I can't believe she's well enough to go to the party!"

"Party?" he asked her. "What party?"

"There's a birthday party for one of her friends today! She's well enough to go, right?" Mrs. Reese's eyes were glimmering with happiness.

"Yes. She can go, but watch her please. Make sure she—"

But Mrs. Reese had already gotten distracted and sped off in a different direction with a spring to her step. Black Jack rolled his eyes, and then continued on.

As the afternoon started to roll around, Pinoko showed up, carrying a bento that she had made for the doctor. She hummed a little song to herself as she wandered through the hallways, but was once again intercepted by Dr. Stevenson.

"Well, hello hottie!" he remarked as he drew up beside her.

"Hey! I told you I was married!"

"You're married to the doctor?" he asked. "No. I checked his records—"

Pinoko stopped instantly and glared at him. "That's illegal. You can't look at his records."

"Baby, I would do anything for love."

"You're kind of a scary guy," Pinoko remarked warily. "I would like you to leave me alone."

She continued walking on further, her heart thumping a little bit, and then she heard him speak.

"Well, ok, ok, so you're in love with the guy. But have you ever done anything with him? Kissed him? Have you been on a date?"

Pinoko thought about this for a minute and turned around on her heel. "Well, we live together."

He sighed heavily. "You obviously don't get what I'm saying, do you?"

"And we haven't really been on a date, and we haven't kissed," Pinoko told him, thinking seriously about it.

"Then why are you wasting your time!" Dr. Stevenson exclaimed angrily, shooting her daggers with his icy blue eyes.

Pinoko looked at him in alarm, and she seemed deeply afflicted by his comment. Had she been paying attention, she would have noticed Black Jack walking down the hallway behind her.

"He's not… He's not a waste of my time," Pinoko protested.

She blushed slightly, and smiled as she continued. "He saved my life when everyone and everything around me wanted me dead. He's money grubbing, but he's an honorable man, n' I respect him."

Black Jack paused quietly at the corner, and remained out of sight.

"So, that's why I love him. He saved me, and he's given me a purpose—whether he likes it or not!"

"Pinoko, what are you doing here?" Black Jack demanded then, making himself aware to the other two.

"Oh! I brought you a bento," she responded, turning around and holding out the box to him.

"Lunch?" he murmured, taking the box. "Well, thank you, but I'm still on call. I don't know when I'll have time for a lunch break…"

"Well, just eat when you get the chance then!"

Suddenly the intercom crackled to life and an alarmed voice spoke out over the speakers.

"Attention Dr. Black Jack! An emergency has occurred! Please report to Room 203!"

Pinoko and Black Jack looked at each in astonishment, and then they immediately took off together. They weaved through the hallways till they reached the room. It was decorated with party streamers, and inflatable balloons. On the ground, Melanie laid, twitching slightly, but unable to really move. All the other child patients stood back against one wall, watching with terrified eyes. Mrs. Reese was crying uncontrollably.

"Doctor, doctor!" she wailed. "Help! She collapsed and won't get up!"

Melanie moaned from where she laid on the floor. Black Jack crouched down beside her.

"Numbness has occurred in the legs…" He estimated that the blood vessels in the legs were blocked off, impairing her circulation… it was very cold in the room, but the fact that she wasn't circulating made her icy to the touch.

"I think we have to operate," Black Jack announced, looking up at her mother.

Her mother screamed out in protest, and Black Jack glared fierily at her.

"Why the hell weren't you checking her blood sugar?"

"I… I…" her mother had nothing to say, but just stuck up her chin defiantly.

Black Jack stood up and pointed an accusative, furious finger at her. "Lady, if your daughter dies, it's going to be your fault!"

He whipped around and urged Pinoko to help him. A few nurses came rushing in immediately, and then a thought occurred to Black Jack.

_Wait a minute. Why didn't they get here sooner? Why weren't they in the room? _

But he barely had time to think because Melanie's life was on the line.

They immediately went into the operating room, and Black Jack injected her with a dose of anesthesia. Pinoko, acting as his assistant, also entered the operating room as well. Black Jack tried to work around the inevitable: amputating the patient's legs… but first he had to figure out what had caused this to happen so fast. There were large amounts of glucose everywhere on her vessels. All she had was a couple of slices of cake! How had this all accumulated so fast?

The heart rate monitor started beeping urgently and Black Jack cursed himself for not starting the amputation sooner—but in the end it wouldn't matter.

"Patient is going into cardiac arrest," announced one assistant nervously, rushing for electric paddles.

"Kidneys are shutting down—"

Black Jack swore again loudly, and Pinoko turned to him.

"BP gaining, EKG reading going down," she told him. "We're losing her."

"I know that!" his eyes were crazed with fury.

The heart monitor beeped again and again and then finally, gave one loud drone. Black Jack snapped his fingers for the paddles.

"Clear!"

He shocked her, and her body convulsed rapidly before settling down once again.

"I'll try it again," he announced. "CLEAR!"

He shocked the body once again, but it remained lifeless. He stared back at her with a dead glaze in his eyes. This shouldn't have happened. Why did it happen?

"Pinoko. Call it."

"Time of death: 3:21 pm," she said hoarsely, staring at the doctor with saddened eyes.

One nurse offered to fill out the death certificate, and another went to go and notify her mother. Black Jack immediately exited the room without a word. Pinoko scuttled after him.

"Doctor?"

"What is it, Pinoko?" he asked with a heavy sigh.

"I don't understand. How did she…?"

"I don't know. Something is definitely not right. Either the tests were run incorrectly… I'm going to do the autopsy myself." As he walked away, he mumbled over his shoulder, "I don't know how she could get her blood sugar so high so fast…"

Pinoko bit her lip and called after him, "So does this mean you won't be home for dinner?"

He glared at her. "What do _you _think?"

Five hours. He had been in the autopsy for five hours. He hadn't had a bathroom break, eating break or any kind of break that whole day. His mind was muddled at this point as he reexamined every organ; every clogged blood vessel in her body… this girl had not died of natural causes. The amount of glucose was ridiculous. With bloodshot eyes and his mouth set in an angry, firm line, he closed up the cuts he had on her body, and sewed her back up cleanly. He then gathered up his notes that he had written down, and exited the hospital for the night.

Black Jack woke up the next morning with a pounding in his head, and immediately knew that he had been drinking. He rubbed his aching head and contemplated about getting up and retrieving water and some aspirin. Then he glanced down.

And Pinoko was sleeping, cuddled up right next to him. He stared down in frozen horror as she awoke, yawned and stretched, then mumbled, "Good morning, Junjei…"

And a loud, horrified scream echoed out through the entire house.


	4. Chapter 4

_Once again, please read and review. And I understand that it should be "chenchei" not "Junjei." I thought I had read "Junjei" somewhere in a different Fanfic. I suppose I'll go and correct it later… Thanks for reading!_

**Chapter Four**

Black Jack's hands were shaking slightly as he grabbed Pinoko's shoulders and shook her slightly.

"Pinoko. What. Happened!"

She blinked back at him. "What do you mean, what happened?"

"Did something happen l-last night?"

"What? No. You came home, you were drunk, so I paid the taxi man for driving you here, and then I put you to bed."

He sighed with relief, and then rubbed his tired eyes. "Why were you in my bed?"

"Cause I was tired too. And your bed is nicer than mine. It's fluffier." She felt his forehead with the back of her palm. "Do you feel feverish?"

"No!"

"Well I called you in sick anyways," she murmured, drawing back her hand.

"Called in me in…? Ow!" a sharp wave of pain flicked through his mind and he groaned.

She pushed him back down against the bed and pulled up the covers to his shoulders. "Don't worry; Pinoko will be your nurse today. I'll get you some aspirin and some water, and you can rest."

"But I _have _to go to work—"

Pinoko shouted in a scolding manner: "Uh uh! No way! You're a workaholic! Stay here and get some sleep!"

He didn't say anything more because he was certain that she was along the lines of slightly crazy. He gave up and slid underneath the sheets, rolled over onto one side and then for the next couple of hours, fell in an out of sleep.

He heard Pinoko out in the living room, watching television while she cleaned up, and then heard her while she was making lunch. She came in back into his room with a fresh mug of some sort of soup that smelled a little oddly sour that was resting on a tray.

"Are you hungry? I made you some soup," she said to him softly.

He sat up and nodded, then took the mug from her and drank. She sat obediently by his side, with nothing better to do than to be there by his side. He watched her curiously, and when he finished he set down his mug on the nightstand.

"Are you really serious about being my wife?" he suddenly asked, all serious.

Pinoko blushed and nodded wordlessly. She parted her lips to speak, smiled once more, and then spoke.

"I'd make you breakfast in bed some days…" she murmured, closing her eyes.

"But you already do that Pinoko."

"Then I guess I'd wake you up with a kiss every morning," she responded.

Her eyes opened and suddenly, he was caught up in them. Her amber brown eyes that were full of innocence, full of trust, and an unconditional love that could not be explained. He murmured to her softly, neither of them could make out what, and slowly she leaned in close to him…

And then the phone rang! (_Swing and a miss!)_

Black Jack immediately snapped out of it and grabbed the phone, while Pinoko sat there twitching. She was trembling slightly from the excitement, if that was what you could call it. He had almost kissed her!

"Hello?" Black Jack spoke into the receiver. "Oh, Ms. Apple?"

He listened for a minute or two, nodding, and then turned back to Pinoko and snapped his fingers, gesturing for her to get out of the room.

"Out."

"But I—"

"Out!" he said firmly.

She got up in a huffy fit, and grumbled as she left the room, "Jeez! Treat me like a dog why don't you?"

She slipped back against the wall, and listened to him talking for a while to the director. She glanced back over to the door, and in an instant, little hearts surrounded her face as she recalled the speed of her heartbeat at that moment. He was falling for her. This was how it always happened in the movies!

"I'm going to get you, Black Jack," she whispered to herself in a sing song voice, twirling and gaily skipping along down the hallway. "I'm going to make you fall for me."


	5. Chapter 5

_YEAH! I got a couple of really good reviews after the last chapter ;) Thank you very much! (Though you might hate me a little after this next one. I kind of think the plot is lacking in some spaces.) Glad that you liked it. I just have one request though: um, I don't speak the lingo here, and I just would like to ask what does OOC mean? I thought "Own Original Character" but I'm not totally sure… so if someone could clarify that in their next review if possible, that would be very well appreciated. Once again thank you very much and enjoy reading!_

**Chapter Five **

"Oh, are you sure that you can handle this, doctor?" Ms. Apple asked as she walked with Black Jack down the hallway. "If you're not feeling well, I can understand…"

"I'm feeling fine, Ms. Apple," he protested, nodding slowly. "My head just hurts a little, but I took an aspirin, so I should be fine."

Black Jack had been feeling sort of sluggish this whole time period. The death of a patient always left him relatively shaken up, especially if it was a case that should have been easy. Those were the toughest to get over…

"You have had patients die on you before, no?"

Black Jack stopped in his tracks and stared at her. "Of course I have."

He could not recognize exactly what emotion was in her face. Here they were, talking about a dead little girl, and she looked… _emotionless._ She blinked, and then started to speak.

"I just don't understand how you could grieve so much for one little girl," she said quietly, "When there are other patients that have a chance at living."

Black Jack narrowed his eyes at her. "Look, I know I'm not one for bedside manner, but she wasn't _supposed _to die. In fact, I investigated it—"

"—I'm sorry," she said, quickly cutting him off. "That wasn't something for me to say."

Then she pointed to her pager, saying that she had other business to take care of, and then strode off. Black Jack blinked, unable to comprehend her impolite behavior for a moment, and then walked off to take care of other patients. There wasn't much to be done today: he could certainly fill out proper doses of medication and perform checkups if he had to. But one thing was on his mind: Pinoko. He was about to kiss her in that room. Why? Why was he going to? She had lived with him for years. He had never felt anything other than affection for her: an affection that he had not identified as love, but was apparently so, or at least along those lines. Their relationship was not father and daughter, no matter how much he could say so—at this point, he didn't even look old enough to be her father. They were not just simply doctor and assistant, because they lived together, and they cared for each other.

_By God. _He thought suddenly, leaning up against the wall. _What is wrong with me? Pinoko is… we don't have that kind of a relationship. _

But yet he had known that she had wanted it to be so. He paced down the hallway to the next room, when the speaker announced that Black Jack was requested to report to Ms. Apple in her office. He groaned and grumbled underneath his breath and marched his way there.

"What is it?" he asked when he walked in through her door. "I'm a little busy, ma'am, so—"

"Ah, yes, I'm so sorry," she murmured as she set down her phone.

She held her hands together and looked directly at him. "I was wondering if you were feeling up to monitoring and lecturing a couple of our newest surgeons through a surgery today?"

"Yes, I should have room in my schedule for that."

She grinned back at him. "But I thought you said that you were busy, doctor."

He arched a brow back at her. "I know that I said I was. But I do have time for monitoring a surgery."

"Good, here are the files for the patient," she murmured, passing over a folder to him.

He took the folder from her, and then glanced at what was on her desk. He saw what looked to be some sort of progress report in front of her, and a list of names set alongside it. He noted this warily, but did not say anything. Ms. Apple draped her arm across the papers, and stared up at him.

"So, is everything going alright?"

"Yes, everything is fine. I should get going—"

"—Doctor, I'm sorry." She stopped him and then abruptly stood up.

Her sparkling green eyes looked into his, and he saw their remorse. "I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier. About the patient, I mean."

She lowered her head sort of shamefully, and if Black Jack were a little softer hearted, he would have instantly expressed forgiveness. But instead he just stood there and waited patiently.

"I know that every life that comes into the hands of a doctor matters," she murmured then, raising her head. "I just heard the rumors that… well; you didn't get too attached to your patients. That you were as cold as the steel for your scalpel."

"And so, when I started to express remorse, you felt irritation?"

"Something like that, doctor. And I apologize…"

Then all of a sudden, her head lurched forward and she kissed him. Black Jack was stunned, but didn't know how to immediately react to this kind of thing. As if on cue, the door opened to reveal Pinoko.

Hopeful, innocent, sweet Pinoko that had just thought she was getting to make him listen to what she wanted. She stood there in a cute little pink dress with white stockings, looking dressed up like a girl that was ready for a date, and was carrying a bento that she made especially for him.

"Chunchei?" she whispered, her eyes widening once she saw the woman.

"P-Pinoko!" he felt like he was in some sort of a bad soap opera. He wasn't her boyfriend, he wasn't her husband—did he really have to explain himself to her?

Ms. Apple stopped immediately and then just sort of looked over Pinoko with catlike eyes, and with just that look, it seemed as if she was throwing several catty insults all at once.

_Really? Her? Why do you live with her?_

_She's not really that special, is she?_

_Who is this little girl, Black Jack?_

Pinoko set her jaw firmly, and stepped into the room. She set the bento down on a chair. She was not going to run away and cry like a little girl, no matter how heartbroken she was.

"You," she said, pointing a finger at the woman, "Have no business with him. He's mine, so stay away from him. You are his boss, are you not?"

"And you have no power over him," Ms. Apple quipped, and Pinoko looked like she was going to explode.

"Pinoko!" Black Jack held her back when she took a step towards the director. "Pinoko, that's enough!"

His gruff, firm tone did not seem to make the situation better. Pinoko looked up at him, now feeling herself breaking down.

"Chunchei? What is this?" _Please. Don't say… _

Black Jack didn't even know where he could begin to explain. He shot Ms. Apple an accusative look. He couldn't look at Pinoko right now. She bit her lip, and blinked back tears.

"I'm leaving," she announced, swiping an arm across her face. "And I'm not going to forgive you for this."

He did not tell her to wait. He could not make her understand something even he couldn't even begin to understand. He watched as she walked out through the door, and then walked back in to pick up the bento and leave.

"What was that?" he snarled at the director.

"Yes," she responded, "that didn't go over as well as I thought it would. I never expected her to walk in."

"I have no interest in you, and that kiss was completely random."

"So you have an interest in her?"

"That's not any of your business," he snapped. "And it's no good trying to distract me from what I've been trying to tell you all along, because sooner or later, I'll find a way to get around you."

She laughed coyly, her bangs drifting in front of her eyes, giving her an intimidating look. She leaned back against her desk and gripped the edges of it, and looked offensively back at him.

"Alright, go ahead. I'm listening: say what you need to say."

"Melanie Reese suffered a death from glucose overdose," he hissed, narrowing his eyes. "And I don't think her death was accidental in terms of her medication. I suspect that somebody did this on purpose—like they injected the dosage into her bloodstream."

"That's ridiculous," she snapped back. "This isn't a murder case, Dr. Black Jack. The Reese family isn't a prominent family—they aren't involved in politics, and they aren't involved in big business. What they have is just an inheritance, and a lot of luck from winning a few lotteries."

"The fact that you protest against it means that you are hiding something," he returned coldly. "Which means, in the end, that you are guilty."

He turned on his heel and walked out of the room, leaving an enraged director standing there alone, her fiery eyes fixated on him.

Black Jack went alone to sit in the cafeteria and review the file for the surgery that Ms. Apple had given him. He was somewhat distracted by Pinoko. He wondered where she was right now. Was she crying? Was she on a plane back to Japan? Was she going to leave him?

He sighed heavily and looked over the papers again. A woman, in her forties, diagnosed with having a cancerous tumor that was positioned behind her gall bladder. The cancer could spread to her pancreas, so it was urgent that it was removed immediately. The surgery was scheduled to be in about forty minutes from now. With a heavy heart he walked to the operating wing of the hospital.

He disinfected and changed into surgical garb, and positioned himself at the side of the table. Two other surgeons accompanied him, both newbies that looked like they might scream and faint at the sight of blood. He smirked from underneath his mask, and then made an incision. After opening up the area, he instructed the other two surgeons on how to remove the trickily placed tumor.

And then the intercom burst out urgently, calling out for Black Jack. He loudly cursed, startling his team, and then quickly gave instructions to the surgeons on how to finish up the surgery.

"Can you handle it?" he asked them.

The two both nodded, but there was something unreadable in their eyes. He headed out of the operating room, disinfected and changed out of his scrubs. He then hurried up to the director's office, grumbling underneath his breath till he reached the room.

"Ms. Apple, I was in the end of conducting a surgery, that you requested me to—"

He fell short, stopping when he saw that at her desk, she didn't sit. The other doctor, Dr. Stevenson, sat there, his hands clasped together. Several files were scattered, opened and closed, all across the surface of the desk. He pressed a finger to his lips.

"She's not here, as you can see."

Black Jack lightly shook a finger at him, remembering who he was. "You're that creep that followed Pinoko around."

He grinned. "Guilty as charged. She is a pretty fine girl though, don't you think?"

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a proper response."

Dr. Stevenson coughed. "Awkward. Well, anyways, I'm a surgeon, just like you. I took the liberty of doing a second autopsy, because gosh, it did seem weird that a diabetic that was kept under constant surveillance somehow _died _right? So here's what I'm going to tell you: run away now."

"I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific than that."

The young surgeon lifted up one file that was completely filled to the brim of newspaper articles. He leaned back in the chair and started to read some of the headlines of them.

"'Black Jack, brilliant surgeon, saves life of billionaire's son.' 'Black Jack saves the daughter of a famous American actress.' 'Laurie Marksden, famous actress, moves her daughter from Saint Heart, goes to renowned Japanese surgeon.'" He set down the papers. "She's been tracking you quite intently, doctor. And a few other famous doctors as well. The people that primarily donate to this hospital… they have direct slash indirect connections to the yakuza, the mafia, etc. It cost them a lot of dough to build this place, and it's going under—maintenance costs are high, and if they don't make a profit big enough, they'll be mad that the money they put into this place is poof! Gone. So they'll go after anyone—which includes you.

"I'm sure you were well on your way to figuring out all of these little details, weren't you? But the more time you took the more lives that would be lost. I wouldn't be surprised if they botched that surgery of yours and killed the patient."

"No. No!" Black Jack yelled, horrified.

"Oh yes, yes, yes… and here she is. Hello, Ms. Apple."

The door opened to reveal the director, and she strode in, her heels clicking like mini pitchforks against the floor. Her confident walk, with each step, seemed to bring Black Jack down a notch.

She pulled out a gun and stood in front of him while Dr. Stevenson went behind him and lashed his hands together with twine.

"Alright, so here's how this is going to go down. You return to surgery, you're going to die, your little girlfriend is going to die, all of that good stuff. However, if you don't return to surgery, we'll let you and her go, and they'll arrest you for malpractice." She smiled coyly. "The choice seems obvious, doesn't it?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"I don't quite understand," Black Jack quipped once Ms. Apple had finished speaking. "Because the choice isn't as obvious as you think it is."

"Ooh, such confidence," she taunted, and rolled her eyes. She circled around her desk and faced him, gripping the edges and leaning forward. "What about that cute little girl? Are you going to just let her die?"

Black Jack's face was expressionless. He was definitely tense, but he stared ahead blankly. Ms. Apple's jaw clenched visibly.

"You're serious? You'd let her die?"

Again, no reaction.

"Oh," she said, and a circle of laughter echoed out from her body. "Oh, you think that I'm _lying? _That I don't have your girl?"

She whistled to Stevenson, and mumbled something into his ear. He quickly punched in a number on the phone, and then held it out to her. Ms. Apple gripped the phone around the middle and spoke loudly into it, keeping a watchful eye on Black Jack.

"Put the girl on the phone."

She waited a few minutes, and then passed over the phone to Black Jack. His heart started thumping harder. Somehow he just _knew_—he knew that it was Pinoko was on the other end of the line.

"Pinoko? Pinoko?" he asked, until she responded.

Her voice was slightly panicked. "Chunchei? Look—"

"Pinoko I'm sorry," he blurted out.

"Chunchei, its fine, look, please listen to me. I want you to do the surgery."

"…What? Could you repeat that?"

She sighed heavily over the phone. "I told you, I want you to do the surgery. I don't matter, okay? Save that woman. I'm sure she has a family, right? She needs you, and she needs you more than you need me! Save her, and then get out of there, please!"

"Pinoko that is nuts! You don't have to try and be brave, I can—"

"—Kuro'o!"

He stopped instantly. She had never used his first name before. Ever.

"I can't be your wife. I can't be your weakness. I'm not important, alright? And besides, don't you think that they'll attempt to kill us both anyways?"

He glowered at her words, and then barked, "Absolutely not! You're letting your emotions from what you saw earlier today affect your decision!"

Ms. Apple retracted the phone instantly, and hung up. "Times up!"

Her eyes flashed as she looked at him. "What are you going to do, Doctor? Make your decision now. I'm a very impatient woman."

He swallowed, and narrowed his eyes. "Take me to Pinoko."

They first blindfolded him, and then they spent about thirty minutes driving out to the location, which was in a large warehouse by the sea. A couple of old trucks were parked outside as well, and a few burly men were positioned outside of the door.

"Miss," both guards nodded to the director as she entered the building, with Stevenson leading Black Jack behind her.

Pinoko was lying in the middle of the room, underneath the rafters of the building. Her dress was torn, her stockings were shredded, and there were cuts and bruises on her body from where she had attempted to fight back. The man that was guarding her seemed to be more wounded than she was though. He kept rubbing an arm that had a blackened bruise on it, and also there was this nasty looking bite mark that could have belonged to the teeth of a cougar.

Oddly enough, Pinoko was shocked. She gaped when he walked in, and murmured, "No way…"

He arched a brow at her and asked, "What do you mean 'no way?' Of course I'd come for you. Am I really that cold hearted of a person?"

She blushed, lowered her head, and felt tears come to her eyes. Yes, she would have preferred that he had done the surgery and found a ways of escaping, but this was incredibly sweet of him.

"Don't get all teary eyed on me now," he warned her. "This isn't over yet."

She smiled and buried her face in his chest, experiencing happiness beyond all words. He couldn't help but smile too, at the way she was expressing her gratitude.

Black Jack turned around to face the director. "A deal is a deal. You said that you would let us go."

"You are very naïve, then." She smiled back at him. "Alright, kill them."

"I thought so." With a fierce, swift tug, he broke the ropes that were tied around his wrists, and turned around and smacked the thug in the face. From underneath his shirt, he withdrew a few scalpels, and whipped them at his captors.

Ms. Apple got hit in her leg, and another one hit her shoulder, so she was down for the count. However, Stevenson managed to swiftly avoid all scalpels that were thrown in his direction. Amazingly, he was flexible, like he had been trained for this kind of thing.

Black Jack halted, reaching underneath his vest for another one, when the young doctor's arms launched into the air.

"Relax!" he spluttered, waving his arms around wildly. "I'm on your side!"

He pulled off his jacket, and opened up a hidden inside pocket, from which he revealed an F.B.I. badge, and flashed it at them.

"I'm legitimate," he told them in a stern voice. "I'm Agent Ryan Jacobi, serving the United States of America's Federal Bureau of Investigation."

The two thugs that had been standing outside all of a sudden came rushing into the room. With expert moves, Ryan managed to grab one and throw him over one shoulder, then thrust his palm into the head of another. The force of the blow managed to knock him to the ground. When both were down for the count, Ryan stepped back with a slightly red face, and did a little jaunty bow.

"Do you believe me?"

Black Jack arched a brow, looking kind of irked. Ryan stared back at them and spread his hands helplessly.

"Please just trust me," he begged. "I can get you out of here, but we've got to move quickly. There's snipers positioned in the hills."

"Typical," Black Jack remarked, and rolled his eyes as he headed after the agent with Pinoko close in tow.

The agent lifted up his shirt a little to reveal a gun hidden in a holster. He pulled out the pistol, readied it, and then burst out of the building. He pressed himself against the wall, and surveyed the landscape, before motioning to them.

"Is a pistol really going to do a whole lot of good?" Pinoko asked, crouching while she scuttled as fast as she could towards a vehicle.

"It might not if it didn't have great range," he answered cheerily over his shoulder, firing once, then twice into the hills.

Suddenly a barrage of bullets starting firing, and the _ping-ping-ping _of bullets hitting the aluminum siding of the building and the cars resounded through the air. Ryan motioned for them to go ahead towards a car, and Black Jack stood protectively close to Pinoko so that the snipers couldn't angle at her.

They climbed into the car and slammed the doors shut. Pinoko screamed when a bullet broke through a window, shattering the glass. Ryan then got into the car, shoved a key into the ignition, and then at the speed of what was probably illegal, backed up rapidly and spun around. The passengers were thrown about the backseat until the car smoothly started to glide away from the chaos.

Pinoko leaned back in her seat and buckled herself in with trembling hands and a shaky sigh. She looked over at Black Jack to say something, but gasped in horror. Black Jack sat there, clutching his thigh, which was rapidly oozing blood, staining his black clothing.

"You were shot?"

He nodded and gritted his teeth in pain. He was slowly beginning to perspire. Pinoko leaned over and unbuttoned a couple buttons on his top shirt in an effort to cool him down. She turned frantically to Ryan and shouted to him.

"Where's the nearest hospital?"

"I'm on my way there," he answered, whipping the wheel around as the car changed its path to the highway.

Pinoko tore off a strip of cloth from the end of her dress and used it to wipe off his forehead. She tore off another strip, and ripped open the hole in his pants above the gunshot wound so that she could apply the cloth to it.

"Tell me what to do, Chunchei," she muttered, watching as the blood quickly swelled. "Just tell me what to do."

She looked up at him, and saw that he had lost consciousness.

"Black Jack?" she yelled. She slapped his cheeks a little. "Oi, come on! You're not going under from a little shot in the leg!"

_Has he lost that much blood already? _She thought, her mind whirling.

"You really have to hightail it, I don't know what's going on," she yelled desperately.

"Pinoko, I'm going as fast as this car can go without running into other people. Do you know how hard that is to do on a highway during the beginning of rush hour!" he blared his horn and then swerved around a line of cars. "Really freaking hard, okay? There are all these cars, and the only way to get there faster is if I were to launch this thing off of the bridge!"

Pinoko shook her head rapidly and then turned back to the doctor. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. Feebly, his fingers squeezed back.

"Hang on, hang on," she mumbled, looking ahead at the road.

_Please hang on. _

Pinoko sat outside the operating room; her hands clasped together, her eyes closed. She breathed shakily. What was going on in there? Didn't they just have to remove the bullet and shrapnel? What was taking so long?

Outside, there was a mess of police cars, ambulances, and the sleek black cars of government officials. Pinoko had managed to evade the chaos thanks to the help of Agent Jacobi, but she couldn't evade the hysteria that came with having a loved one in an operation.

Jacobi then strode up to her, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey."

She brushed him off.

"He'll be fine, won't he?" he smiled meekly. "He's been in worse scrapes than this. Would he really want to see you crying?"

"I'm not crying," she snapped, crossing her arms. "I'm not that helpless."

"Of course not." He sat down next to her, and then just waited patiently with her.

Half an hour later, the doctors emerged, and took Black Jack to his room. Pinoko smiled triumphantly, beaming. _(I'm not going to kill him off. Like seriously? No.) _She gave the agent a quick little hug, and then bound after the doctor.

He was still asleep. He would wake up soon. And until then, she would be there by his side: whether she was his girlfriend/wife or not. That was just how it was supposed to be.


	7. Epilogue

_Here is the epilogue. Thank you very much for reading! Please review afterwards if at all possible. By the by there's going to be a sequel…_

**Epilogue**

The salty sea's aroma wafted in the air, and the remaining crisp, humid summer floated all around them. The black car drove up the long winding road up a cliff to a small little house that sat on the edge of it. This was home.

The engine sputtered slightly as it was turned off, and Pinoko (nicely tanned, might we mention?) stepped out from the car. She breathed in the air, and smiled contently. She stepped to the backseat and pulled out a cane that was lying there just as Black Jack opened his car door. She came around just as he climbed out of the vehicle, wobbling slightly as he stood.

Autumn was steadily approaching. As it turned out, Black Jack and Pinoko needed to spend a long time in the U.S because of all the chaos that was left behind by the shady personnel of the St. Heart hospital. Trials had been started almost immediately, and were continued for the remainder of the summer. In and out of the chaos, Pinoko had been dutifully taking care of the doctor, and it seemed like everything had gone back to the way it had used to be.

She was giving up. She could love him still, but he wasn't going to ever return her love. So, she just had to give up. It was just easier, and in the end less painful. She didn't know how the doctor felt; she had not confronted him.

"Wonderful," the doctor said with a sigh as he struggled to his feet. He took the cane from Pinoko and started limping forward. (_Is this "House"-like?) _

"Don't be grouchy," she protested. "We're finally home."

"Three months spent in hospitals and courthouses and just America overall is equivalent to eternity," he told her sharply.

"But you're not immortal, you know, so it couldn't have been an eternity." She shook a finger at him in a scolding manner. "And you're lucky you didn't get thrown in jail for practicing without a license. You're so troublesome."

She turned around and started to head up into the house, when his voice stopped her.

"You shouldn't have fallen in love with me, then."

She cringed a little bit and smiled, laughing. "Yeah, I'm kind of a joke, aren't I?"

"Pinoko."

"Yeah?"

She felt his fingers brush against her chin, and slowly he gripped it, and pulled her around to face him. Her heart rate started to climb instantly, and she got a little shaky as she stared into the intense gaze on his face. Her blush could not be hidden.

He pulled her in close, and with a kiss—oh that kiss!—she knew that her love had not been futile. How sweet, how soft, the thing that she had been wishing for!

"Promise me," she told him, taking his hands, "that we will always be together, okay?"

He smiled, blushing slightly, and nodded.

_The End_


End file.
